[Editor’s note: Today we introduce The Weiner Awards, our way to have a bit of fun while spreading the word that the way you use social media can, and often does, bring heavy negative consequences! Here’s a teaser from the lead to the release – the full text can be found on The Weiner Awards Facebook Page.]
LOS ANGELES, December 10, 2013 — Have you ever horrendously embarrassed yourself using social media? You send a Tweet, you post on Facebook, you blog something — and then realize, too late, that you made a really bad decision? The worst such offenders seriously damage or destroy their personal and/or professional lives.
“We call that Social Media Darwinism,” said Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. and author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management [McGraw-Hill]. “The truly sad thing is that the most sensational examples come from public figures who should have known better.”
From the agency employee who accidentally tweeted, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f#@&ing drive” using the @ChryslerAutos account, to Dominos cooks posting YouTube videos of themselves doing disgusting things to food “for the lulz,” to a certain congressman for whom these awards might be named, social media Darwinism is evolving – or devolving – new examples.
“We hope that others can learn from their example,” said Bernstein Crisis Management Social Media Manager Erik Bernstein, “That’s why we have created the Weiner Awards – to educate by entertaining.”
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Jonathan L. Bernstein, founder and Chairman of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of crisis management – crisis response, vulnerability assessment, planning, training and simulations.
Erik Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management. Erik started with BCM in 2009 as a writer and subsequently became social media manager for the consultancy itself as well as for a number of BCM clients before moving to the president position.